Shoe-clasp



l J. J..UNBEHEND.

SHOE CLASP.

No. 450,593. PatentedApr. 14, 1891.

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NiTn STATES ATnNT rricn.

JACOB J. UNBEHEND, OF- SYRAOUSE, NFV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE. JUDSON L. THOMSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

SHOE-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 450,593, dated. April 14.-, 1891.

Application led August 13, 1890. Serial No. 361,916. (No model.)

To all whom, it muy concern.'

Be it known that I, JACOB J. UNBEHEND, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Spring- Clasps, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved springclasp, applicable particularly for fastening arctic overshoes, &c., and has for its object the production of a cheap, simple, and efficient device; and to this end it consists, essentially, in a base-plate composed of a single plate having a central arm and side arms on either side of the central arm, a tongue having laterally-projecting pintles mounted 1n seats formed in the side arms of the baseplate, with the central arm bearing against said tongue for tensioning the same, a cutout in the adjacent edges of the side arms, laterally -projecting stop -shoulders on the tongue movable through said cut-outs, and guard-lips provided at the extremities of the side arms and extending downwardly with a greater inclination than the remaining portion of the arms.

The invention also consists in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinaftermore particularly described, and pointed out in the claim.

In describing myinventiou referenceishad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a top plan view of the-clasp with the tongue closed or folded upon the baseplate. Fig. 2 is a similar plan view with the tongue illustrated as swung into its opened position. Figs. 3, et, and 5 are edge views showing the tongue respectively closed, half opened, and entirely opened. Fig. Gis an inverted plan view of the clasp as seen in top plan, Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and S represent, rcspectively, plan views of the base-plate and tongue-blanks.

The base-plate Ais formed of suitable spring A material, as steel, and is provided at one extremity with an opening or other suitable attaching means b, whereby the clasp is secured 1n operative position.

a represents a pair of slits or slots extending rearwardly from the forward edge of the base-plate and forming a central arm a and side arms d2 on either side of the central 55 arm, with slightly-greater forward extension. The side arms a2 are provided with seats a3, preferably formed by depressing the metal into an open-box shape, as best seen in Figs. l, 2, 3, et, and 5.

C represents the tongue, formed of suitable material and desirable contour. The rear eX- tremity of the tongue is bent upon itself in a loop c, and is provided with the laterally-extending pintles c', adapted to be forced be- '65 tween the side arms and central arm of the base-plate until registered with the seats c3 in the base-plate, whereupon the extremity of the forward arm rests against the rear extremity of the tongue, as seen in Figs. 2, S, et, 7o and 5, and tensions the same, whereby the tongue is firmly held in either its closed, half opened, or entirely opened position.

As thus far described, when my improved clasp is secured to loops or the ordinary slotted clasp plate D, for arctics, rubber blankets, or like articles, the forward extremity of said plate is very liable to pass between the forward edges of the base-plate and tongue. rlhis undesirable result is entirely 8o prevented, however, by means of guard-lips a4, formed upon the forward extremities of the side arms a2 and extending downwardly with a greater inclination than the remaining portion of said arms, as best seen in Figs. 3, et, and 5, whereby the edge of the loop or claspplate D contacts with said guard-lip and is prevented from further inward movement.

It will readily be understood that when the tongue is forced to its opened position there 9o is great liability of setting the central plate by an undue backward movement, since the rearward extremity of the tongue and of the central arm are both of the same width. This setting of the central arm, however, is absolutely prevented by means of shoulders O', formed upon the rear extremity of the tongue in advance of the pintles and adapted to bear against the side arms when the tongue is in its opened position, as best seen in Figs. icc 2, 5, and 6. In order to close the tongue formed with these shoulders C', the side arms are formed in their adjacent edges with 1nwardly-extending cut-outs c2, through which the shoulders pass when the tongue is oseillated.

Myimproved buckle, wing lo lire sing-lc base-plate, is verylight and requires but a minimum amount of materiahand by thense of the shoulders C en the tongue all liability of setting the spring is obviated and the` clasp is rendered efficient and durable.

The operation of my invention will be i readily understood from the i'oiegoing,and it is evident. that the detail construction and arrangement of the spring-clasp may be somewhat varied from that described without departing from the spirit ot' my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention. whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described clasp-plate, the same consisting of a single base-plate liavingaeentral spring-arm and spring side arms of greater length than the central arm on either side i thereof for forming` a cutout between the` iside arms in advance ut flic `neutral arm. si i tongue having` ils rear extremity resting;` against the neutral arm and movable in the eut-out in advance of the central arm, tiatsided cam-shaped pintles projecting laterally from the side edges of the tongue and mounted in said depressed seats, guard-lips termed upon the side arms of the base-plate in advance ot" the central arm and extending.,r toward the tongue, cut-outs in the inner edges or" the forward extremities of said side arms, and laterally-projecting stop-shoulders on the rear extremity ot' the tongue, substantially as and for the purpose speeiiied.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto signed m y naine, in the presence ot two attestingwitnesses, at Syracuse, inthe county `of Onondaga, in the State ot' New York, this 11th day of August, i890.

lrlCOB I. UN BEHED.

lil'itnesses:

titular; li. Neuron, El. BAXTER. 

